Click on the photo to see the effect of all the clearing. The arboretum is on the right and some quite mature trees live in the Forest on the left

The stone has been found and is being levered over to display the number.

Click on the photo to see the team involved in its rescue!

The number 104 can be clearly seen on the gale stone

Cyril Hart Arboretum - Speech House

Grid Ref SO623123

Dean Green Team Discover Gale Stone!

It was with great excitement that the Dean Green Team discovered a missing Gale stone whilst clearing the old wall at the edge of the Cyril Hart Arboretum near Speech House. We had been clearing the small trees (and a couple of large larches that had grown through the wall) and pervasive bracken and bramble from the old dry stone wall which currrently marks the edge of the arboretum. The plan is to extend the arboretum further into the forest. Hidden in the bramble was an old stone lying face down which we turned over and found the number 104 inscribed upon it. We initially thought that this was one of the missing boundary stones marking the extent of the Forest but have since been informed that it is a gale stone.

The number 104 signifies that this is a gale stone delineating parts of the boundaries of
3 gales in the Upper Series of the Coal Measures. The gales are Royal
Forester, Resolution & Safeguard and Soundwell and the gale stones were set up in 1841 We are hopiing it will be replaced in its original location for people to view it.